Carlson column: Here are some opener tips for bass anglers

It is somewhat hard to believe that Memorial Day is just around the corner. Typically, Memorial weekend marks the beginning of summer activities. With the cold spring, it hasn't felt much like summer.

One of the events that is customarily associated with Memorial Day weekend is the opening of the bass season. Although this date pales in comparison to the walleye opener that took place a couple of weeks ago, it is a noteworthy event.

I believe that bass fishing is continuing to attract more attention from anglers. There are several reasons for this.

First of all, bass are more prolific in our local lakes and rivers than walleyes are. The type of habitat and ecosystems found in our local bodies of water lend themselves to bass and panfish more than walleyes.

I have had plenty of 40-50 walleye days in my fishing career, but none of those took place in the immediate St. Cloud area. Experiencing a 50 bass angling day in the area is common.

Bass also tend to be less fussy when it comes to weather changes. When a cold front comes through and the walleyes get lock jaw, bass can usually be tempted into biting.

Many anglers like the fact that bass love artificial lures. Not having to fuss with live bait certainly has its advantages.

Artificial lures aren't necessarily cheap to purchase, but neither is live bait. At the end of a fishing day I don't have to dump my artificial lures on the ground to prevent the spread of invasives.

Many anglers like the activity associated with bass fishing. There is always a lot of casting that is involved. Various types of retrieves and actions can be given to the lure once it is in the water. Trolling is usually not associated with bass angling.

As for this coming Saturday, anglers will definitely be looking at pre-spawn conditions. Bass don't spawn until water temperatures reach the lower 60s. We are not there yet.

Pre-spawn does mean that most of the fish will be shallow. Anglers will find activity around bulrush beds, shallow, warm water bays and on the inside weed line. The weeds are not growing a lot just yet, but there will be some present.

There are many different lure presentations that will catch fish. Some will work better than others. A person is going to have to experiment a little to figure it out.

Personally, I will have rods rigged for several different presentations. Wacky rigs will catch fish but so will twitch baits and jig worm combos. I will also bring along a rod for casting spinnerbaits.

For those who love fishing for bass, this weekend's start of the bass season will be a bigger event than the walleye opener.

This is the opinion of Times outdoors columnist Jerry Carlson. Contact him at jerrycarlsonoutdoors.com.